Cross Bridges Mod 2.0

[Cross]

EDIT: 23 Nov 2012 - Version 2.0 now released

This mod changes:

• Wood and stone road bridges
• Wood and steel rail bridges
• Paved roads (removes yellow lines)

Full credit and thanks to Rosollia who spent a lot of hours converting my artwork into game shape files; and he also removed the yellow lines from the paved roads to make them more historically accurate for WW2.

Before and After:


KO’d Bridges



Files
This mod replaces 12 icon shape files:

Wood and stone road bridges and paved roads
TER24Z0.shp
TER24Z1.shp
TER24Z2.shp
TER24Z3.shp
TER24Z4.shp
TER24Z5.shp

Wood and steel rail bridges
TER57Z0.shp
TER57Z1.shp
TER57Z2.shp
TER57Z3.shp
TER57Z4.shp
TER57Z5.shp

The mod installs a backup of the original SHP files, so you can easily revert to vanilla bridges and roads.

INSTALLATION
1. Download the attached Cross.Bridges.Mod_2.0.zip file.
2. Unzip to your WinSPWW2 folder, and Replace All.


NB. This mod is not endorsed or supported by Shrapnel Games or The Camo Workshop.


Cross

[Rosollia]

You have some method of automating the zoom level creation process? You could use Virtual PC 2007 to install that Win98.

I have played around with the terrain files but I did the zoom levels manualy using Paint.NET. While resizing I used the Resampling method "Nearest Neighbor" to avoid the edge smoothing that the other methods apply.

The standard SHP image size is 89x89 pixels for zoom level Z4. So from that you make the other zoom levels smaller folowing the formula below:
Z4 = 89x89 pixels (100%)
Z3 = 80x80 pixels (90%)
Z2 = 58x58 pixels (65%)
Z1 = 40x40 pixels (45%)
Z0 = 22x22 pixles (25%)

This can ofcourse be a little bit tedious.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Rosollia

The standard SHP image size is 89x89 pixels for zoom level Z4. So from that you make the other zoom levels smaller folowing the formula below:

Z4 = 89x89 pixels (100%)
Z3 = 80x80 pixels (90%)
Z2 = 58x58 pixels (65%)
Z1 = 40x40 pixels (45%)
Z0 = 22x22 pixles (25%)

This can of course be a little bit tedious.

.........especially when you get done and realize you forgot level Z5........


Don

[Cross]

Originally Posted by Rosollia

You have some method of automating the zoom level creation process? You could use Virtual PC 2007 to install that Win98.

Apparantly, if you create the zoom 4 SHAPE files, then load them into SP I (in it's normal DOS environment, so Virtual PC 2007 will probably not work) using Win95 or Win98, the game will create Zooms 0-3. But you may have to utter the correct incantation during this process

Zoom 5 would have to be manually created just like zoom 4.

Each bridge zoom has 5 normal icons plus 5 destroyed, so for the wood and stone bridges that's 20 icons. For six zoom levels that's 120 icons, so it would be nice if the game would generate 80 of them and even put them and position them in the shape files.

It could be done manually, but like you said it would be tedious. I think that's why I shelved this project the first time.

Cross

[Rosollia]

.........especially when you get done and realize you forgot level Z5........

That would be
Z5 = 134x134 pixels (150%)

Apparantly, if you create the zoom 4 SHAPE files, then load them into SP I (in it's normal DOS environment, so Virtual PC 2007 will probably not work) using Win95 or Win98, the game will create Zooms 0-3.

Wow! That is crazy! I did not know about that.

[Rosollia]

Just tested it with SP1 v.1.21 and DOSBox 0.74 emulator.
Deleted TER files TER00Z0.SHP - TER00Z3.SHP started the game and it created those zoom levels automaticaly from TER00Z4.SHP with header information too. Amazing.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Rosollia

Just tested it with SP1 v.1.21 and DOSBox 0.74 emulator.
Deleted TER files TER00Z0.SHP - TER00Z3.SHP started the game and it created those zoom levels automatically from TER00Z4.SHP with header information too. Amazing.

I have no idea who started the idea you need to use SP1 to do this but it's totally false. SP2 will do it as well but the whole process goes back to the very beginnings of SP so this isn't new or amazing news to anyone who's been working with the game. There has been a few posts on this subject over the years. You just won't be able to do the Z5 level automatically( I have an EXE that will )

Be aware that the game will ONLY create the TER files the map is calling for. In the example above TER00Z0.SHP is basic grass every summer map uses.

The next question is...... did you try and run the game after creating those tiles or did you just look in the SHP folder and see that they were new ? My previous experience with DOSBOx and this process created the files but they were corrupted which is why I build mine from pure DOS on a win95 machine


Don

[Rosollia]

The next question is...... did you try and run the game after creating those tiles or did you just look in the SHP folder and see that they were new ? My previous experience with DOSBOx and this process created the files but they were corrupted which is why I build mine from pure DOS on a win95 machine

Yes the automaticaly created ter files worked fine for me. Maybe you were using an older version of DOSBox? Even though the version number increments are small DOSBox evolves ALOT in every new release.

Another program I use is Fred´s Unshp/Makshp/Hdshp.
http://www.wargamer.com/Hosted/Chlan...shop/index.htm
With these handy command line programs I can use the existing terrain files to great effect. Just now I compiled the TER24z5.shp by first unpacking it with unshp. Then making modification to the pictures I wanted to change. After that I recompiled it using makshp. And finaly I used hdshp to move all the header info back to the new SHP file. No need for manualy messing around with the headers and very fast too. I only use SHPEdit for small edits and do all the heavy work with unshp.

Problem with 64bit win7 is that unshp/makshp/hdshp are 16 bit programs and do not work in it. So one needs to run them in dosbox. But dosbox also needs this program to be run first:
http://www.wargamer.com/Hosted/Chlan...p/misc/cws.zip

The ShpSym program on Fred´s site is for Windows but it does not include Hdshp yet so I still use that old command line version.

[Rosollia]

Cross I took the bridge graphics you posted at SPWAW depot and put them into the TER24Z0-Z5 files.

With Fred´s programs and the automaticaly created zoom levels it took me just two hours. So this is really handy stuff.

I tried to send these to you in a private message but I could not make out how to attach files there. So I attached the files here. I hope this is ok???

Attached are your bridge graphics and all the zoom levels. I also removed the yellow center lines from the paved road graphics. I think this looks better with the new bridges and gives an older look more suitable for ww2?

The automaticaly created zoom levels Z0-Z3 still might need some manual adjustment with the header information, but from quick testing I dont see any major errors.

Those new bridges look beautiful by the way. Great job!

[DRG]

All that is well and good but the real showstopper is that base SP1 and SP2 Terrain SHP files....... old or newly created, are NOT COMPATIBLE with any windows version of our games.

The SSI terrain file like Ter00 ( basic grass ) contain 36 SHP's and 5 of those are flat base terrain.

The SPCamo terrain file for Ter00 contain 66 SHP's and 35 of those are flat base terrain.

You CAN get away with this with the road files ( Z5 level excepted ) but not regular terrain because I added all those extra flat tiles to go as far as possible to ensure there were no repetitious patterns appearing in maps


Don